Union Ministry of Environment declared Three Coal Blocks in the Hasdeo-Arand Forests as go area

Union Ministry of Environment declared three coal blocks in the Hasdeo-Arand forests as go area and granted them Stage-I environment clearance. With the decision the ministry yielded to demands from the governments of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh made a case for giving green bonus to Chhattisgarh for not allowing mining activities in these coalfields.

The ministry disagreed with the statutory Forest Advisory Committee’s (FAC) rejection of the Chhattisgarh government’s proposal to open up Tara, Parsa East and Kante Basan coal blocks in the Hasdeo-Arand forest. It was argued that the three coal blocks in question were in the fringe areas of the forest and that there is no reason why permission could not be granted. FAC had contended that allowing mining activity in these blocks could impact wildlife in the forest area.

However, Ramesh opined that a well-prepared and well-executed wildlife management plan by an institution such as the Wildlife Institute of India could address these concerns.

The coal blocks are linked to supercritical thermal power generating stations, a key technology to ensure the nation’s energy security.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot had also demanded the freeing of Parsa East and Kante Basan blocks to ensure fuel supply for two super-critical projects in his state.

The environment minister has been at loggerheads with the ministries dealing with the end-use of coal such as steel and power ever since he began implementing the system of no-go in coal-bearing areas. However, the system was widely disapproved of including by Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) whose principal secretary T K A Nair had mentioned that in nine coalfields where the system was implemented, 48 per cent of the area fell in the ‘no-go’ category and therefore was not acceptable.

The PMO had also demanded that at least eight blocks be freed from the boundary of no-go areas.